Question:
Smoking

My Doctor advised me that i should slow -down snoking prior to surgery. I have slowed down but i have not completely stopped. I have 25 days to go and I would like to stop any one out there who can help me?    — ~~~Marah~ ~~ (posted on March 30, 2006)

March 30, 2006
wow ..my surgon said STOP NOW ...but i didnt stop that day i have been smoke free for 11 days ,went to wal-mart and gotthe wal-mart brand nicaret gum for 25 or more cigs aday its working for me ...it seems like your doc well still go ahead with your surgery .....my doc said that he would test me and if i had nicoten in blood he would send me home ..sad face... lol.. good luck hun .with what you do ..
   — brenda F.

March 30, 2006
go get the smoking patch it does work I did it. You must stop smoking prior to surgery it is very important. Follow your doctor advice immediately please Dani
   — Dani96

March 30, 2006
Beyond all the normal risks of smoking for WLS patients consider this:( Smokers heal slower get far more leaks and complications.Leakers arent allowed ANYTHING by mouth, for a long time. Imagine no food or water for MONTHS:( They get more hernias from coughing, end up on a vent more, and most surgeons today will not operate on anyone who has smoked in the last month. They have a bloodtest to check for cheaters. Once your a post op your chance of getting a ulcer or stricture is greatky increased and these ulcers are hard to treat, often requiring more surgery. We have a Q&A poster who has been thru this:( Smoking decreases bloodflow thats why healing is slower. WLS is all about trying to get your health back, so why continue smoking? Besides think of the money you can save on tobacco are redirect it to clothes shopping:)
   — bob-haller

March 30, 2006
Boy do I know how you feel. I quit almost 2 months ago and I still have bad days. The thing that keeps me going is, I know I will be healthier and I want to be able to heal faster after surgery. Keep your chin up you will be fine and just keep thinking about how good you are going to feel when you are healthier. Good luck to you. Tanya
   — Tanya1992

March 30, 2006
/sigh....I'm the Q&A poster Bob is talking about. My decreased bloodflow is from multiple surgeries at the stoma...but smoking will constrict your capilaries temporarily decreasing bloodflow to your entire body each time you smoke a cigarette. (this is why most smokers notice cold fingers a couple of minutes after smoking) Once isn't a big deal, but most smokers smoke more than one cigarette. It's not just the act of smoking that can be a problem, but the nicotine in your system. The nicotine is what causes your capilaries to constrict, not inhaling the smoke. So while patches are great..you would need to be off them before surgery if you want to avoid this problem. The other 'bad' thing is actually inhaling the smoke...this makes it more difficult immediately post op for many people because the little hairs in your lungs are paralized. Unfortunately it takes several years of not smoking to regain the use of these buggers. So, I'm not real sure how much of a benefit not smoking is on this particular point other than the fact you are no longer adding extra mucous to your lungs. I quit nicotine prior to my initial WLS, I had no problems whatsoever after surgery. I did not quit prior to the two surgeries that I had the following year (No time). I also had no problems following those two surgeries. However, keep in mind that I'm an exception. Most doctors and the pulmonologist prior to WLS were surprised to know that I had smoked. My lungs just didn't show it. Now, having said all of that....the best way I found to quit are the mints. They give you the hiccups and make you belch...but you won't want a cigarette! Good luck with your efforts, it's difficult but can be done.
   — RebeccaP

March 30, 2006
Renbecca I have been here over 5 years. You arent the only member to have trouble from smoking and indeed we had one in our support group too. Its a sad and has appeared before
   — bob-haller

March 30, 2006
~Hi Tamara I know first hand how hard it is to stop smoking, I started when i was 13 years old and am 32 now (19 years is a long time) When i began my weight loss journey i was told at my initial consult that i would have to stop smoking 10 weeks prior to surgery; I thought i could never do it...i stopped on sept. 30,05 . I used the nicoderm CQ patches and they worked great for curbing the nicotine craving.You have to want to quit and commit to stopping by getting rid of everything in the house smoke related, the worst thing you can do is to just tell yourself your only going to smoke 1 or 2...that will never get you full results. Trust me when i tell you if you truely want to quit it will be one of the hardest things you'll ever do. I even still to this day have a boyfriend that smokes right in front of me and it's difficult, but you just have to keep telling yourself it is for your health and body. I gained 30 lbs in 5 months, then lost 15 on the pre-op diet. chew lots of sugar free gum and watch your snacking & drink loads of water (i did'nt watch my snacking and i almost got my surgery date cancelled) because my DR. is a stickler for pre-op weight loss. He told me because of the weight gain i might not be a candidate for Lap RNY and when they put me under he may have to convert to an open procedure. I agree with the other posts about all of the damage as far as healing is concerned, one thing not mention is that w/ the anethesia in your system if your lungs are not at full capacity you are also opening up the risk for pneumonia complications as well.....Furthermore, look beyond just the healing process of the surgery at the outcomes of people who smoke; you are more likely to have lung cancer, heart disease, stroke,etc... Just like obesity we are exposing ourselves to the risks of death. Why would we go through all of this to improve the qualities of our lives and not take that extra step. I have seen first hand the suffering that lung cancer can cause, my dad smoked for nearly 30 years. in mid april of 05' he was healthy, recently retired, and in the best spirits of his life!!!! @ the end of april he was dizzy and went to see his pcp who ran tests confirming a brain tumor ( what happens is you get lung cancer and cancer alway's travels upwards through the blood stream attaching to other areas of the body) by mid june he had brain surgery,kemo,and could'nt hold down water. He past july 9th,05. It only took two months to lose his battle with cancer. Did you know that any damage you have done thus far to your lungs is reversible? within ten years of non smoking you will have been able to renew your lungs to that of being healthy without them ever appearing as if you had smoked. Think about it ! ( i don't mean to lecture/sorry if it appeared that way :) I wish you the best in all that you do and good luck, my prayers will be with you as your surgery date approaches....See you on the losing side (i am having RNY 4/5/06) feel free to email me if you need support or just someone to talk to SMILES :)
   — tiffany E.

March 30, 2006
you sound just like me I asked the same question about 3 months ago! :) I am post op now 1 week and 3 days and I will tell you my surgeon told me he would not operate if I had nicatine in my blood as well then I ound out it is impossible to test !! So then I kept smoking I did cut back to three a day but still smoke my 3 a day but I have been a smoker almost all of my adult life and I am a usual pack and a 1/2 a day smoker. Dont worry so much about it jut dont smke the day of the pre op visit or the morning of surgery.
   — TRISCHV

March 30, 2006
Vanessa they can test for Cotine a byproduct of smoking. Members here who didnt follow their surgeons orders have had their surgery cancelled the morning of surgery. Sad theres some questionable info these days:( Like they cant test for smoking or drinking just one alcoholic drink would raise the blood level enough to show as intoxicated. Such bad info can cause lots of troubles:(
   — bob-haller

March 30, 2006
I just had surgery on March 23, 2006. I interviewed three surgeons. Two said they absolutely would not operate if I were a smoker. The third (the one I chose, of course) said I needed to stop and explained why. He didn't say he wouldn't operate, but he didn't say he would. I used to smoke 1 1/2 -2 packs a day for over 30 years. Ten days pre-op, I got the courage to put on the patch and come home without having any cigarettes around to fall back on. It was tough the first week, but I knew I needed to get through it. My boyfriend was an incredible source of strength (he still smokes) and my kids were so happy that I had finally done it. I probably gained 10 pounds that last 10 days pre-op, but I didn't care. I needed to stay off the nicotine. I used the NicoDerm CQ patch and even went into surgery with the patch on. My doctor, anesthesiologist and others said it was okay to do so. I still wear the patch (17 days post-quitting) and still need it. I still have moments when I want one very badly, and if they were around, I would probably take a drag or try having just one. But I know that, like dieting, once I cheated, I'd be right back on them again. Try your hardest, Tamara! Get the patch, enlist your friends support and encouragement, and pray. Let me know how you do!
   — rcgirl0209

March 30, 2006
One of the reasons why they try to get you out of bed and moving around quickly after surgery is to minimize the chance of getting blood clots after the surgery - they may also give you a blood thinner such as Heparin. As is widely known, smoking not only increases your chance of getting blood clots but also slows healing after surgery. You are having this surgery to improve your health - you might as well go cold turkey on all your vices at once. (I smoked for 23 years before my surgery and I ASSURE you, your sense of pride in losing weight AND being able to quit will be a feeling unlike anything you've experienced before.) I wish you the best. Look into Zyban (my drug plan didn't cover smoking cessation aides but a way around this is to have your doctor prescribe you an anti-depressant called Wellbutrin, which is EXACTLY the same medication as Zyban, and is generally covered). Good luck!!! Jennifer
   — j_coulter

March 30, 2006
I thank you for all of your responses they were greatly needed. I know that I must stop I must admit i have slowed down I use to smoke 2 Packs a day. Now I am down to 3/4 which is great to me. Since tomorrow is the first I feel this is the best time to start.
   — ~~~Marah~ ~~

March 30, 2006
I thank you for all of your responses they were greatly needed. I know that I must stop I must admit i have slowed down I use to smoke 2 Packs a day. Now I am down to 3/4 which is great to me. Since tomorrow is the first I feel this is the best time to start.
   — ~~~Marah~ ~~

April 1, 2006
At the time i had surgery in 2001, i had quit smoking for a few years already. however, it was a requirement to quit before my surgeon would do the surgery. I had to also walk 2 miles a day, which probably saved my life because i almost got pneumonia after surgery......... If you cannot quit smoking, i would strongly recommend doing lung excersizes so that you build up lung and breathing strength before surgery to help eliminate the chances of pneumonia and breathing complications. Get one of those breathing excersizers from a health supply store? the one where you blow the balls up in the machine? hope this helps. PS: I do smoke now..... :(
   — Kimberly Felan

April 2, 2006
my boyfriend and i quit smoking the day i went in for my first consult. I was told bring in a letter from your pcp, a psych, and quit smoking before you come back. that was a month ago. I was a regular newport smoker since i was 9 ( i know that sucks) The best thing i can tell you to help yourself quit is guilt and mints. Thats how i did it. every time i get a craving i remind myself that if i cant do this i wont be able to handle the surgery , i am weak if i dont do this, i lack self control if i light one up, then after telling myself these things i pop a mint. Works great for me.
   — Shelly M.

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